Patent Overview
The embodiments presented in Apple's patent relate to a method and an apparatus for selecting an item of content on one of Apple's media players by rotating the unit from portrait to landscape.
In contrast to the simple list method of navigating content, embodiments of the present invention provide an easier technique for browsing and selecting content. At any time, the user could rotate their Apple media player to view a detailed list view that displays the content of each item in a way that allows the user to quickly flip through the items to find the desired item. Once the focus is on the desired item, the user simply rotates the portable computing device to select the desired item.
By using rotation as a selection tool, a user could simply rotate the portable computing device to view the list, browse to the desired item, and then rotate the portable computing device to make the selection, thus eliminating the need to constantly select an item, hit the back button, and select another item in search of the desired item.